Category Archives: Survival

Many hunters have talked about what to carry for bear defense while out in the woods. Here are some of that conversation on 1911forum for a handgun.

BPHORSEGUY: There have been increasing small bear sightings in my and my dogs hiking area. I am considering carry a .45ACP instead of my 9mm and solids instead of HP.

magazineman: I’d guess .44 mag or better. + running shoes. But for your purposes I’d see what handgun bear hunters use. I’d be surprised if 9mm or .45 were on the menu for that job. Big revolvers are probably the preferred item.

EvolutionArmory: At the minimum, you want a 10mm if you are carrying an autoloader. I would feel under gunned with one though. You are probably best off with a .44 magnum or .454 Casull wheel gun. Think magnum for bear.

Kosh75287: I’m guessing that buying a .40+ caliber revolver is not on your financial horizon. If you reload, I’d consider using a 250 grain RNFP over a maximum load of Herco or Blue Dot. You might also look into a conversion kit for your .45 Auto to enable it to shoot .45 Super, and work up a load that drives a 230 gr. FMJRN as fast as possible.

Here’s the sentiment from Reddit audience if you’re toting an AR or other firearms:

In_Vitam_Sola: An M203 would be a handy attachment.
the5thpixel: Burrs do not go down easily. Aim for the head.

Malrak: GL trying to get a 5.56 through a Bear’s skull, all while its moving and most likely charging you at 30 mph

NaggerGuy: Bear spray

84xcab: And a rape whistle

Malrak: 30 rounds of 5.56 would probably kill a bear…the question being would you be able to stop him before he had a chance to rush you and maim you.
If it were my choice I’d rather have an AR-15 in 458 SOCOM or 50 Beowulf.
AR-15 aside, I’d prefer something like a Benelli M4 with Magnum Slugs, AR-10, M1A, SCAR-H or other 308 Semi Auto.
Best option would be M107 or a M2 50 BMG Conversion both with supporting crew.

Wadsworth34: Maybe an AR10. Depends on the size of the bear. .556/.223 wouldn’t do jack shit to a big ass bear. Bear spray or a shotgun with hollow point slugs.

SirEDCaLot: A heavy penetrating round like the M855 is IMHO the most effective. It will be better able to punch through the layers of bear and hit vital organs on the inside.

AtheistInfantry: As a life long Alaskan that has seen these animals up close on numerous occasions I would rather have bear spray or a Mossberg 500 with Brenneke Black Magic Magnums.
Unless you get lucky and make a CNS hit it’s going to run off or eat you(or both) before it bleeds out. Oh, and there’s a whole bunch of hide, muscle and fat between your bullet and the spine.

Tarnsman4Life: I would say depends on the type of bear. 357 Mag or 10MM should be fine for black bear. Anything larger than a black bear I would not go smaller than 44 magnum.
In a perfect world I would have a Semi-Auto shotgun loaded with slugs too.

Adventurer Tom Allen and his friend demonstrates how to make a stove with the minimal materials.

Beer Can
Get a beer can or any aluminum can, the larger the better and have a knife or a pair scissors. This whole process is very simple to do.

Cut the top of beer can at the top ridge.
Cut beer can in half and get it to 2-3 inches high on both can.
Dent the bottom half can with a knife all the way around, when done place the top piece together.
Make a little hole with the thumbtack
Pour some rubbing alcohol into the and light it up, now you’re ready to start cooking, boil some water.
Turn off the flames by smothering it with a cup.

There are many written articles on what to have in your survival supplies. But, the big three that you need to provide are food, water and shelter. Yes, it would be nice to have all the fancy tools to play with. The primary three needs are what will help you to focus on to help you survive. The following is a quick down and dirty list that you should have in your survival kit or bug out bag.

TOOL FOR CUTTING OR CHOPPING –
Used for cooking, warmth and shelter.

MULTI-PURPOSE TOOL –
Is like a McGyver gadget with all tools in it.

WATER PURIFICATION OR FILTRATION

FIRE STARTER –
Get a permanent match, flint or magnesium rod.

DUCT TAPE –
For practical use for shelter, crafting, repairing, etc..

FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY KIT –
Ideally first aid kit be placed inside a water proof container.

PARA-CORD OR ROPE –
Very durable and can be used for many things.

FISHING GEAR –
Nice to have a rod and reel. But, not necessary, all you need are lures, fish eggs and fishing line.

PONCHO –
Staying dry, keeping warm or make into a container to carry items.

FLASHLIGHT AND EXTRA BATTERIES –
Though, its nice to have tactical lights. It’s better to have a reliable compact LED flashlight that you can recharge by turning the handle. Perfect for emergency use to save battery power.

This may be one of the easiest way to start a fire. The guy from Stephenson Prepper uses cotton ball, petrolium jelly and a flint with a scraper. You don’t need to have the same bracelet as with flint/scraper as shown in the video.

Video Transcription:

[Speaker]: Today Im’ma be showing you a little video how petrolium jelly and a cotton ball can make a good fire. It actually lasts about four minutes actually burning. And this is how you can store ’em, You go ahead and pre-mix ’em, keep ’em in a ziplock bag, makes ’em water-tight.

I’m gonna start with my bracelet today. You can get these bracelets on Amazon. Just look up ‘Bracelet with Flint’, and you should find the link.
This is what it looks like. You gotta take it, put it down through the hole to get it. Much easier to start it. You can use a little washer that’s connected on the end to actually start it.

You can see I’ve done a couple things with it, where it’s kinda shiny on the side, and the paint’s still on this side. You do have to get the paint off of it by striking it multiple times. Hopefully I’ve got enough paint off it on this side to make it work.
[starts fire]
And there you go. That’s how you can get a fire started. Let me take this down.

There are many ways to find true north if you get disoriented while hiking. Though it may sound easy to walk in a straight line, it’s actually simple to get off-course. There are many ways to getting back on track, that is back to true north. Here are some simple methods, have a look below:

First method is to get a needle and cork, or something to make the needle float. Rub the needle on your clothes to magnetize it and then stick the needle through the cork or rest it on top of a leaf that floats, and place it in a puddle or cup of water. The needle will turn and point to true north.

Sticks
Another way to find direction without a compass requires the use of sticks. There are two ways to do this, one way during the day and one way at night. The first way, which you do during the day, is to put a stick in the ground so that it is sticking vertically up, and mark where the shadow is with a pebble or a rock. Wait 10-15 minutes, then mark where the shadow has moved. The original shadow indicates west and the direction the shadow moves is east.

The second way to get yourself directionally aligned can only be done at night. Get two large sticks, one bigger than the other. Stick the shorter one in the ground, and then just beyond it, jam the taller stick into the ground. Then bend over behind the smaller stick, and in your mind, make a line that goes from the top of the two sticks to a star in the sky. Watch the star for several minutes and the stars will change location (they aren’t moving, the Earth is, of course). If the star moves up that means you are facing east; down is west; if it moves right, then you’re facing south and finally, if it moves left, that is north.